The Faithful Wife
by Ebonrune
Summary: Dark Paths companion short, set between chapters 1 and 2. Sigyn never meant for things to work out the way they did, but it seems there is nothing she can do to change the events set in motion and in the end, would she really want to?


Disclaimer: All characters in this fanfic belong either to Marvel or Norse mythology. I own nothing but the imagination I used to write this.

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Sigyn walked the halls of Asgard in a worried daze. Several days ago she and Loki had returned from his imprisonment beneath Midgard's crust. She had immediately been ushered off to the healers to deal with her acid-burned hands, several fingers on both being nothing more than bone. When they'd discovered that she also had burns on her chest and torso where the viper's acid had spilled and soaked through her clothes, she was all but commanded to remain in the healing ward so her injuries could be dealt with and it was several days before she was finally healed enough to leave.

During those days, she'd been almost beside herself with worry. Loki hadn't shown up to be healed, and his injuries were so very worse than hers. Had the All-Father decreed that he wasn't to be treated? But no, she couldn't believe that. Odin loved Loki, just as he loved Thor. It was her fault he had been so bad off, unable to properly empty the bowl and instead consistently spilling it onto him and often onto herself. She had to find him, she had to know he was alright.

He wasn't in their room, and he wasn't in the eating hall. No one had seen him, no one knew where he'd gone. He couldn't leave Asgard with the necklace collar around his neck, blocking his ability to slip between the dark paths between realms and with the Bifröst destroyed, no one else could leave either save for Skaði who held the Tesseract relic.

Finally, not knowing where else to look, Sigyn returned once more to their room and wearily changed for bed, crawling beneath the covers and closing her eyes to try and sleep. She spent a restless night, dreaming of the two years catching the poison, unable to rest. In the dreams she could see Loki's eyes all too clearly, once bright green eyes turned pale blue. At first he'd looked at her in loving gratitude, but the expression in those eyes had quickly changed to a look of betrayal and then of hatred. She had been unable to tell him she wasn't hurting him on purpose because Skaði had taken her voice so she would not be able to comfort him, and both hands were always occupied with the bowl, so she could not even try to express her caring for him through touch.

Loki had often doubted her blooming love for him, and how could he not when he'd tricked her into marriage to begin with? She'd accepted the marriage at first out of fidelity, but he had never been cruel to her, never forced her in any way and over time she had begun to care for him, begun to love him. But now he hated her, and she had to find him so that she could explain.

She awoke in the morning and sat up, only to gasp in surprise when she saw Loki sitting on a nearby chair, watching her. He wore a black robe that cinched tightly at the neck, but there was nothing covering his face and when she'd sat up, his ruined lips had curled back in a sneer.

"Sleep well, Sigyn?" He asked, his voice sounding strange and whistly as air escaped from both sides of his exposed jaw. "I have a special treat for you." Sigyn realized his voice sounded odd in another way, in that it lacked the presence of any emotion what so ever. His one remaining good eye looked almost as blind as the other, and gave nothing away as to his thoughts. Other than that initial sneer, he seemed to be completely emotionless.

"Loki." Sigyn's own voice was soft, unused to being able to use it. "My beloved husband. I need to speak with you."

A flash of anger crossed his features, gone the next moment and he stood up abruptly. "Get dressed." He told her. "I don't want to waste any more time."

Sigyn obediently moved to get dressed, keeping her back to him and trembling a bit as she desperately mentally rehearsed how to apologize to him. Once she finished dressing, she turned to face him to see that he'd donned a mask that enclosed his face and covered his ears to close under his hair. She stepped over toward him. "Loki, I must-"

"Be silent." He turned away from her to head to the door, but she reached out to grab his arm in both hands.

"Beloved husband, I must-"

Loki whirled on her, left arm raising as if he was going to strike her. "_BE SILENT!_" Sigyn heard something snap beneath the mask and Loki winced, grabbing at the mask with the hand he'd raised in threat of violence.

Sigyn swallowed hard, but not wanting to upset him further, she held her tongue and only waited for him to recover and turn away again to lead off to wherever they were going. She followed him and tried to reach out to touch his arm, only for him to jerk away from her grip. She bore her worry silently then and only wrung her hands, wondering where he was leading her.

She looked around in mild surprise when they entered the throne room and she looked to Loki to see if he would offer an explanation, but he only pressed ahead to the throne. He bowed stiffly to Odin. "All-Father." He greeted him.

"Loki." Odin acknowledged him, voice quiet and pained. "What is it that you come before me now?"

Loki gestured to Sigyn with his left hand. "I would be quit of this woman, All-Father."

Sigyn froze in shock and she stepped quickly to Loki, reaching out to touch his arm. "But why?" She cried out. "I love you, Loki! Why would thou be quit of me?" He shoved her away without answering and she collapsed to the floor, putting her face in her hands and weeping bitterly.

She did not know for how long she wept, nor what went on around her, but a change in the atmosphere had her lift her tear-stained face and look over in the direction the present court members were looking.

A haggard warrior was stumbling forward, and after a moment Sigyn realized that it was her once betrothed, Theoric, who Loki had killed and taken the form of to only reveal the truth after the vows had already been taken. Sigyn swallowed back her tears and wiped her face before she moved to rise to her feet. She faced Loki.

"Thank you, Loki." She whispered solemnly. "Thank you for returning my betrothed to me."

"Be gone with you, vile woman." Loki hissed in return. "While you wept in all false regrets, I have had our marriage annulled." He stalked away then, giving Theoric a wide berth and leaving entirely.

Sigyn lifted her chin and moved to meet Theoric, to take this news bravely and accept the man she had originally been meant to marry. Loki no longer desired her, and though she could guess at why, if he would not allow her to explain, then there was nothing more to be done.

Though she told herself that and forced a smile for her original betrothed, it did not ease the pain of rejection. Theoric embraced her with all the strength his recently reborn body could muster and she relaxed into his hold. At least she would not be alone, and perhaps she could come to love Theoric as she had come to love Loki, neither man having been of her own choosing.


End file.
